Understanding "Nest Storage Full" - How Nest Aware Manages Your Video
If you're a Nest camera owner, you might worry about your device running out of storage space and failing to record important events. Users often search for a way to "clear storage" or are concerned by a "Nest storage full" message. However, this is a common misconception based on how traditional, SD-card-based cameras work.
This guide will explain exactly how Nest cloud storage functions, why you never need to worry about storage being full, and how you can manage your video history effectively.
## The Truth About Nest Storage: It's All in the Cloud
The most important thing to understand is that Nest cameras do not store video on the device itself (unlike cameras that use an SD card). Instead, all video footage is uploaded directly to Google's secure cloud servers. This process is managed by your Nest Aware subscription.
Think of your Nest Aware subscription not as a storage limit, but as a timeline.
- It's a Rolling System: When you subscribe to Nest Aware, you get a set number of days of video history (e.g., 30 days of event history or 60 days with Nest Aware Plus). This doesn't mean you have a 30-day storage capacity that can fill up.
- Automatic Deletion: It means that any video clip is automatically and permanently deleted from the cloud after it becomes 30 days old. This happens on a rolling basis, minute by minute. As a new minute of footage is recorded, the oldest minute of footage (from 30 days ago) is deleted.
- Infinite Space: Because of this system, your storage never gets "full." There is always space for new recordings because old ones are constantly being removed. You do not need to manually delete clips to make room for new ones.
## Managing Your Video History
While you don't need to manage the amount of storage, you will want to manage the content by saving important clips before they are automatically deleted.
### How to Save a Clip Permanently
If an event occurs that you want to keep forever—such as a security incident, a funny moment, or a family memory—you must save it as a separate clip. This downloads it from the Nest cloud and saves it either to your account's clip library or directly to your phone or computer.
- Find the Footage: Open the Google Home or Nest app and go to your camera's history view.
- Select the Event: Scroll through your timeline to find the event you want to save.
- Tap the Save/Download Icon: Look for an icon that says "Save," "Download," or looks like a downward-pointing arrow.
- Choose Your Clip Length: You may be able to adjust the start and end times to capture the exact moment you need.
- Save the Clip: The app will process the footage and save it. Once saved, this clip is yours to keep and will not be deleted after the 30/60 day period.
## What If My Nest Aware Subscription Lapses?
This is the only scenario where "storage" becomes a factor.
- If Your Subscription Ends: If your Nest Aware subscription expires, you will lose all the video history that was stored in the cloud. Your camera will revert to its default state, which is typically just live viewing and event snapshots from the past three hours.
- Renewing Your Subscription: If you renew your subscription, it will begin recording your video history again from that point forward. It will not recover the history that was lost when the subscription was inactive.
So, the next time you think about "Nest storage," remember that it's a self-managing system. Your only task is to identify and save the video clips that matter most to you before they automatically expire from your timeline. Your camera will take care of the rest.